


Of Fate

by Mottled_System



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bonding, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Family Bonding, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, I'm Bad At Tagging, Lightsaber Battles (Star Wars), Not Canon Compliant - Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Orphans, Parenticide, Sister-Sister Relationship, Sisters, The Dark Side of the Force (Star Wars), The Force, The Light Side of the Force (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:00:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29885628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mottled_System/pseuds/Mottled_System
Summary: I fly the ship, headed for nowhere in particular. I know nothing other than Mandalore, and barely that- in truth, I knew nothing other than my home with Korkie, and my parents’ ships. I’d travelled with them both for a time.I lean into my seat and try to squelch my growing panic, terror, anguish. I can’t do this alone. I can’t do anything alone. I can’t be alone. And even if I could- I don’t want to.I fly until I am nearly out of fuel, locate the nearest inhabited planet, and land on Jakku.Exactly where I am meant to go.And I find her- the last of my family. My sister. I can see it in her hazel eyes- they are mine, too.
Relationships: Ben Solo & Original Female Character(s), Ben Solo | Kylo Ren & Original Female Character(s), Ben Solo | Kylo Ren/Original Character(s), Ben Solo | Kylo Ren/Original Female Character(s), Finn & Rey (Star Wars), Finn/Rey (Star Wars), Kylo Ren & Original Female Character(s), Kylo Ren/Original Character(s), Kylo Ren/Original Female Character(s), Leia Organa/Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, Poe Dameron & Rose Tico, Poe Dameron/Rose Tico
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Prologue - The Beginning

The grass beneath me sways gently in the wind, dancing softly against the skin of my legs. In my left hand is the mostly silver hilt of my father’s lightsaber, sturdy and solid and simple in its design. In my right hand is the black hilt of my mother’s, sleek and slim with a threatening red design painted over it.

It is like holding a piece of their souls in each hand, the only piece of either of them that remains.

In front of me is my own lightsaber, its coal grey hilt styled specifically to resemble both of theirs- more complex than Father’s, more simple than Mother’s. It pays homage to them while still, first and foremost, representing me and my own soul.

I’m infatuated with lightsabers. I always have been. I have a modest collection of them- most of whose backstories remain unknown to me- in a chest stored in my ship, hidden away. I gently release my parents’ lightsabers in order to pick up my own.

It’s longer than theirs, double sided. One blade is a brilliant orange, and the other, a shimmering purple. Mother’s is red, Father’s is yellow. I know little about the meaning of the colors, only that it comes from the crystals within, and people generally react badly when they see the red gleam of my mother’s. At first I thought it was because of her- she was Dark, a former Sith apprentice- but even when I, entirely unknown to anyone, wielded it, people reacted the same.

I turn the hilt in my hand, studying it. After a moment, I set it down and place my hand on my parents’ lightsabers once more.

It was all so sudden. And now they were gone.

My eyes ache. I would close them if I wouldn’t see it all play through my mind again. I can already hear the distant echoes of his voice- of Korkie’s voice, right before my mother had swiped her lightsaber right across his throat.

I clear my throat and stand suddenly, using the Force to sheath my lightsaber into its holster as I walk off, clutching the other two with white knuckles. I look up at my ship, study it with dread. It had been my father’s.

I had gone to him for help, for comfort.

It was all so sudden.

I board the ship and stow my parents’ lightsabers away- I don’t want to look at them, to feel them, to remember their masters with anger and grief and every other fresh emotion dancing in my heart.

I lost my cousin, the man who had raised me- watched my mother slay him. And then I’d killed her. And then I’d gone to my father, and he’d attacked me, and I’d killed him, too.

And I’d lost my home. I’d left Mandalore. I had nothing but this ship, the ship he’d died in. And I intended to sell it and buy another sooner rather than later.

I know I’ll have to feel it all eventually, all of the things I am desperately avoiding, but I don’t have it in me. I’m not sure I’ll ever have it in me. I don’t want to- it’s bad enough to know I could do it- I did do it- without having to come to terms with it all.

Maul will be looking for me. Mother had mentioned him, and Korkie had warned me. I knew little about him, other than my mother used to work with him and he’d killed my grandmother- my father’s mother, Satine. Korkie’s aunt. Korkie had mentioned he’d died before  _ twice _ .

I suppose I’ll have to figure out how he came back if I want to stop him from coming back again. If he is looking for me, for whatever reason.

I fly the ship, headed for nowhere in particular. I know nothing other than Mandalore, and barely that- in truth, I knew nothing other than my home with Korkie, and my parents’ ships. I’d travelled with them both for a time.

Where do you go to sell a ship? Where do you go to buy one? I lean into my seat and try to squelch my growing panic, terror, anguish. I can’t do this alone. I can’t do anything alone. I can’t be alone. And even if I could- I don’t want to.

I fly until I am nearly out of fuel, locate the nearest inhabited planet, and land on Jakku.

Exactly where I am meant to go.


	2. One

Jakku is a barren, orange planet covered in sand and sadness. I land at Niima outpost and begin a rather tedious search for a buyer for my ship.

The man I end up in front of, a Crolute, if I place him correctly, looks smarmy and sinister. He gives me a toothy grin. “That’s quite the lovely ship you have there, little girl.”

“Suppose it’s good you think so,” I say, keeping my head high, my eyes cold. “You got any worth trading for it?”

He makes a noise that you suppose might be a laugh. “I have many things for trading,” he says.

“I’m looking for a ship.”

“You have one- why would you need another?”

“It runs well,” you say. “Perfectly kept. Stole it from a Jedi I killed… Not really my style. Plus… Shiny ships can attract… Onlookers.”

The man’s eyes seem to glitter as I speak. “Ah,” he says. “You a merc?”

“No,” I say. I need work, but not from him.

“Pity,” says the man. He looks over my shoulder to study the ship. “What kind of ship are you looking for?”

“Something small. Able to be worked on. I could use a project- but don’t think about lowballing me. If you have a ship that isn’t worth as much as mine, I expect parts to fix it up with.

The man makes a noise I perceive as a scoff. “Ain’t got enough parts I’m willing to spare to make up for that. Do you know where you are, girl?”

I look at the man and his condescending expression for a long moment before impulsively unsheathing and activating my lightsaber, slashing a pole as I swing it expertly in front of me in a clear threat. “Do you know who you’re talking to? Don’t believe me about the Jedi thing- send your mercs after me. I’ll put on a nice little show for you.”

He laughs again, but his eyes grow dark. The guards dotting the outpost tense, drawing their weapons, eyeing me and waiting for an order to attack. “Put that away,” he says simply. But, if my little outburst hadn’t have worked properly, he would have sicced his guards on me, stolen my ship. The condescending gleam that is noticeably absent would remain.

I deactivate the lightsaber but keep the hilt clutched in my hand. “I want a ship.”

The man looks out at the unoccupied ships that pepper the landscape- he seems to collect them. “Well. I have a few you might be interested in… But I have one in mind for you?”

“Do you?”

“Nice little Corellian ship. Bit of a… Local legend. Little rough for wear, but always seems to pull through. More trouble than it’s worth, though… People always come around to try and steal it. Might be something worthwhile to someone of your  _ temperament _ .”

I stare at him, bored. “Where is it?”

“There,” he says, motioning. I turn to see the ship, largely unimpressive, buried under tarps. “It’s dirty, but that’s easy enough to fix if you know how.”

“I suppose you don’t,” I remark.

“Do you want it or not?”

I turn and study it more, thinking. Something in me wants to buy it… And I do try to follow my intuition, no matter how ill-advised it may seem.

It’s often the Force.

“Legend or not, my ship is worth more.”

“Not by much- that ship beat the Kessel run record. Owned by Han Solo.”

You’re vaguely familiar with the legend of a man, the Kessel run, but it doesn’t really matter to you. “Do you have the parts it needs? Will it make it off the planet?”

“Some of them, and yeah- how far, I couldn’t tell you, but far enough.”

“I want those parts.”

“Fine.”

“And fuel. Lots of it.”

“ _ Fine _ ,” snarls the man. “Now get off of my planet.”

I’ve just finished loading your new ship and refueling it, headed inside to take a look at the work it needed- quite a bit, but like the man said, it would make it off the planet and towards one a little more hospitable- when the shooting outside starts. I glance outside and see First Order ships, deciding immediately to ignore it. I know next to nothing of the First Order, other than that I don’t particularly want to be on their bad side.

Shortly thereafter, though, someone hurriedly boards your ship. Instantly readying my lightsaber, I walk forward only to see two people and a droid scurry forward.

“What the fuck are you-”

“Sorry! No time!” The girl screams as she flies forward.

“Where are the guns?” asks the man, looking at you with wild eyes.

“Excuse-”

“Down that way!” The girl screams back. The man flings himself away from me.

I look down at the droid who beeps apologetically up at me, before letting out an inquisitive noise.

“I can’t understand you,” I mutter, then grab the wall as the ship bursts to life.

I make my way to the cockpit, landing in the copilot seat. “This ship is dirty,” I say. “If you’re running from the First Order- which I would  _ not _ advise- you won’t get far.”

But she’s distracted. “I have no choice,” she says as she frantically steers it away.

I stare at her face. Her short nose is straight, her thin brow furrowed as she focuses, tries to keep herself calm and steady. Her dark hair is in three buns at the back of her head, and her pale clothes are old and dirty.

She looks frighteningly familiar. I look away as my heart begins to race. “I’m a damn good pilot. Are you?”

“I certainly hope so,” she says in a shaky voice. “Thank you. Sorry about your ship.”

“If I die…”

“You won’t. We won’t. We can’t.”

I save your questions, quickly helping her as she flies the ship. She’s got skill, intuition, but she doesn’t seem very experienced and she’s very, very terrified. I can’t help but find myself muttering reassuring words, telling myself it’s just to save my own skin before she freaks out and sends us crashing into rocks.

Somehow, miraculously, we make it off the planet.

It isn’t until she relaxes in her seat and closes her eyes that I get a better look of her face, and I’m confronted with a truth I cannot avoid.

She looks exactly like me. Not identical- she’s younger than me, though by how much I couldn’t say, younger than ten but more than five- and it goes far being a mere doppelganger, far beyond mere chance. Her hair is darker than mine, her skin more tan, but…

“Who  _ are _ you?” My voice is frightened and overwhelmed and breathless. She looks over at me then and blinks- blinks with her hazel eyes.

They’re my eyes, too.

The man and the droid rush in then. “Now that was some nice flyi-”

As if he can feel the air between the two of us, he stops and looks at her, and then me, and then her, and then me. I look at him; he sees it, too. I’m not crazy.

“I- I’m Rey,” she says. “Who are  _ you _ ?”

“Kennoa,” I say, looking back at her, at her eerily familiar face. “Kennoa Kryze.”

“Are you- how old are you? Where are you from, why- why were you on Jakku?”

“I’m from Mandalore,” I say. “I needed a new ship, and Jakku was the closest place that I could find one.”

Rey studies me for a long time, hope and confusion on her pretty face. She looks lost, like she’s trying to piece something together. “Who are your parents- where are they? Have they ever mentioned Jakku? Do they- do either of them have siblings? Do  _ you _ ?”

You swallow. “My parents are dead,” you say softly. “They’re both only children. As far as I know- knew… So am I.”

“We look- the same,” she says, insists.

“We do.”

“Do you- your grandparents, do they-”

“My grandfather was an only son. My grandmother had two siblings, a brother and a sister. Her brother’s son is dead. Her sister never had any children.”

“Her nephew, did  _ he _ have any children?”

“No. He raised me. I know he didn’t.”

We stare at each other for a long moment. “Then we’re- sisters.”

“Woah,” says the man. “You can’t- I mean, yeah, you look alike, but you can’t know that-”

I look at her and I know that it’s true. I feel it. “Yes. How old are you? I’m twenty-six.”

“Nineteen,” Rey says.

I look down. I was seven when she was born… When my parents left Mandalore, leaving me entirely alone with Korkie for the first time. “Why would they- what, did they just leave you? There on Jakku?”

“Yes,” says Rey, her voice breaking. I look up at her again. She looks broken, defeated. “I always thought they were coming back…”

“They… Changed, over the years. Maybe they meant to.”

Rey turns and looks out the window, looking lost. “I can’t believe it,” she says. “But I- but I do. I do believe it.” Her voice grows passionate, sorrowful, and tears fill her eyes. I stare at her for a long time, wondering why they’d never mentioned her, if Korkie had known.

“The Force brought us together for a reason,” I say finally. “We’ve got to get this ship clean before we lose our chance to figure out why.”

“Right,” Rey says, standing quickly. On our way back, though, a pipe bursts, distracting us. As we fix it, I can hear Rey and the man whispering to one another, occasionally glancing over at me. I stay near the droid as I work, and eventually, we’ve fixed it.

“What’s your name, by the way?” Rey asks him.

“Finn,” he says.

“That was some bloody good shooting, Finn,” Rey says. For a moment they marvel at one another about how well they did with their escape, until eventually, the droid beeps sadly up at them.

“We’re going to get you away from here, BB. Finn’s with the Resistance- we’ll get you back there safely.”

The droid’s head swivels over to Finn and I know instantly he’s lying- Finn tries to look tough, noble, though the layer of sweat on his face.

I don’t trust him. I don’t know why. I don’t feel like he’s particularly sinister, or anything. “The Resistance, huh? Where’s the base?”

“Ah- go on, BB-8, tell her.”

You give him a pointed look. “I didn’t ask BB-8, I asked you.”

BB-8 makes a noise and spins in place, looking at Finn for a response. Rey looks naively between the two of us as I keep my stern look pointed at him.

“I-I…” Finn sighs, then looks at Rey with guilty eyes. She blinks and straightens, recoiled, growing guarded. “I was with the Resistance. I was with Poe. I’ve never been to the base, though. But I was with Poe!”

Rey, stern, looks at BB-8 then. The droid beeps in response. “We can’t take you there if we don’t know where it is,” her voice is gentle. It beeps again. “The Ileenium system,” she whispers, running her hand through her hair.

“Right! Now that I hear it, I remember Poe mentioning it. It was- I mean, it all happened so fast.”

“Right,” I mutter, and Rey and I begin to move toward the cockpit once more- until the lights dim and flash red.

“That can’t be good,” Finn says.

“You don’t say,” I mutter. The four of us hurry to the cockpit.

“Someone’s locked onto us,” I say. “All of the controls are overridden-”

A clanging sounds above us. After a frightened pause, Finn clambers onto the dash, stepping on my leg and placing a hand on Rey’s head to do so. We both shove him off, complaining, but he makes his way onto the dash regardless.

“See anything?” Rey asks.

“Oh, no…” Finn clambers back down, standing behind us. We both swivel towards him. “It’s the First Order.” Finn speaks with a dreadful finality, as if he’s standing at the gallows.

“What do we do? There must be something.”

Suddenly, Finn is hit with an epiphany. “You said poisonous gas,”

“I fixed that.

“Can you unfix it?”

“That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard,” I say. “What, so the gas can kill us instead of the First Order?” They both clamber to their feet and speed away. “Are you kidding me?”

You don’t clamber after them, instead make your way towards the entrance of the ship. You grab your mother’s lightsaber with your left hand and ready your own with your right, blocking your face with the staff, the other raised above your head. Poised for a fight, you listen as footsteps approach.

Two sets of them. Just two.

You can take two easily.

But the people who enter are not stormtroopers, and it gives you pause- the hairy behemoth shoots a crossbow at you and you deflect it easily. The human beside the behemoth stops him before he can take another shot but eyes your lightsabers wearily.

“You are you?” the old man demands.

“Who am I? The person that just bought this ship, that’s who. Who are you?”

He gives you an intense, matter-of-fact look. “The man who owns this ship.”

“I have paperwork to suggest otherwise.”

“Really? Well, I’ll tell you what you can do with that  _ paperwork _ -” The man starts snarkily.

“This is all I have. You already have a ship- a bigger one. We have things to do, places to go, people to see- just leave me alone.”

“We?” asks the man.

“You heard me. Now leave.”

“Where are the others?”

“Just fuck off!” I roar. “The First Order is looking for my friends- this ship- and neither of you seem like the type they’d be too fond of- you especially,” I say, pointing towards the behemoth, who roars in response. “No offense- but am I wrong?”

“Why is the First Order looking for you?”

I glare at him. I shouldn’t have said that. “Because we’re playing tag. I wouldn’t want to lose.”

“Listen-” the man starts, his voice lethal, until something metal clangs in the distance. The old man glances towards it before taking a step forward- I just my lightsaber out towards him.

“You stay the fuck away from them,” I growl in a low voice.

The behemoth lets out a roar, but the old man dismisses him. The man looks over at me again. “You need a ship? Fine. I’ll get you a new one. You paid for this one fair and square- but it’s mine. I’ll get you a new one and I’ll keep this one.”

You stare at him for a long time. “A clean one?”

“A clean one.”

You take another step closer, putting the orange blade close to his neck- close enough for him to feel the burn, but you leave yourself exposed enough to a blaster’s shot that he shouldn’t feel too threatened. “Don’t play me, old man. I know how to use this.”

“I can tell,” he says genuinely. After a moment, you deactivate your weapons and turn around.

“Come on out.”

You turn back to the pair as Rey, Finn, and the droid scurry upwards.

“Where’d you get this ship?”

“Niima outpost.”

“Jakku? That junkyard?” The man looks surprised and almost offended, then turns back to the behemoth. “Told you we should have double-checked the Western Reaches.” The behemoth cries out in response as the man turns back to you. “Who had it? Ducain?”

You look over at Rey as she approaches, unsure of the man’s name. “Unkar Plutt. He stole it from the Irving boys, who stole it from Ducain.”

“Who stole it from me!” The man adds pointedly as he turns around.

“You’re Han Solo?” I say. He looks at you and nods briefly.

“ _ Han Solo _ ?” Rey coos. “You’re Han Solo? Is this- this is the Millenium Falcon, isn’t it?”

The man swivels dramatically. “I used to be.” Then, he stalks off.

“Han Solo, the Rebellion general?” Finn asks.

“No, the smuggler,” Rey says.

“Isn’t he a war hero?”

“As I understand it, he’s both.”

The behemoth cries out again, shrugging.

“This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in fourteen parsecs?”

“Twelve!” Han Solo roars back, offended.

“I thought parsec was a measure of distance, not time-” you begin. The behemoth cries out again, but you don’t understand.

A few moments later, the old man hobbles out. “Some moof-milker put a compressor on the ignition line.”

“Ukar Plutt did,” Rey says. “I thought it was a mistake, too. Puts too much-”

“-Stress on the hyperdrive,” she and the man say in unison, then look at one another.

“I hate to ruin the moment, but we need that ship,” I say.

“We’ve got to get to where I keep the extras-”

“We need it  _ now _ ,” I insist. Han looks at me with his intense expression. “Like I said my friends here have pissed off the First Order, and they’re smuggling something for the Resistance. I’d like to get back up as soon as possible if we’ve got them on our tail- who knows how quickly they’ll find us.”

Han sighs, looking annoyed, thinking. I walk next to him, Rey following close behind, Finn and the droid and the behemoth not far off.

“He’s carrying a map to Luke Skywalker,” Rey adds.

Han freezes then, his face changing as that settles over him.

“You are the Han Solo that fought with the Rebellion,” Finn says. Han looks back at him. “You knew him,” Finn continues when Han doesn’t speak.

He gets a reminiscent smirk. “Yeah. I knew him. I knew Luke.”

Thudding falls above us, and we all look up. “What the hell is that?” I ask.

“Don’t tell me a rathtar’s gotten loose,” Han mutters, more to himself than to me.

“A  _ what! _ ?” I demand. He runs off and we all follow.

“You’re not hauling rathtars on this freighter, are you?” Finn demands as we exit the ship, convening on the freighter.

“I’m hauling rathtars,” Han mutters.

The behemoth growls.

“Oh, great,” Han remarks. “It’s the Guavian Death Gang. Must have tracked us from Nantoon.”

The behemoth growls again as he and Han rush off.

“What’s a rathtar?” Rey asks, and the rest of us hurry after them.

“They’re big and they’re dangerous,” Han says.

“Helpful,” I mumble. That doesn’t begin to cover it. I grip both hilts as dread settles over me.

“You ever heard of the Trillia Massacre?” Finn asks her.

“No,” Rey says with a furrowed brow.

“Good,” Finn says.

“Very helpful.”

“I got three of them going to King Prana.”

“Three? How’d you get them on board?” Finn asks.

“I used to have a bigger crew.” We all stop as the behemoth opens a door on the floor. “Get below and stay there until I say so- and don’t even  _ think _ about taking the Falcon.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I say, unsheathing my lightsabers and spinning them expertly in my hands. Han glances at them and then at my face.

“Fine. You can stay.”

“What about BB-8?” Rey asks.

“He stays with me until I get rid of the gang, then you can have him and be on your way.”

“What about the rathtars? Where are you keeping them?” Finn demands, just as one thuds against the window behind him. He and Rey yell out in surprise.

“There’s one of ‘em,” mutters Han, a little too pleased.

“What are you gonna do?” Rey asks.

“Same thing I always do. Talk my way out of it.”

With that, Rey and Finn clamber down below as the behemoth growls.

Han points at him. “Yes, I do. Every time.”

Doors open and several armed men make their way forward. You know better than to escalate by activating your lightsabers just yet, but you clutch them, readying yourself mentally.

“Han Solo,” says one of them in an unfamiliar accent. “You’re a dead man.”

“Bala-Tik, what’s the problem?”

“The problem is we loaned you 50,000 for this job. I heard you also borrowed 50,000 from kanjiklub.”

“You know you can’t trust those little freaks. How long we known each other?”

“Not long. We want our money back, now.”

“You think hunting rathtars is cheap? I spent that money.”

“Kanjiklub wants their investment back, too.”

“I never made a deal with kanjiklub!”

“Tell that to kanjiklub.”

More doors open and the four of you turn to see more men coming in from the other direction.

You can tell by the look on Han’s face that you’re all fucked. He points at them. “Tasu Leech! Good to see you,”

“Wrong again, Solo. It’s over for you.”

“Boys, you’re both gonna get what I promised. Have I ever not delivered for you before?”

“Yeah,” Bala-Tik says.

“Twice!” Tasu Leech says.

Han looks to the behemoth for confirmation, who nods quickly. Han thinks for a moment. “What was the second time?”

“Your game is old,” Bala-Tik says. “There’s no one left in the galaxy for you to swindle.”

“Nowhere left to hide,” adds Tasu Leech.

“That BB unit,” Bala-Tik says, nodding towards it. “The First Order is looking for one just like it… And two fugitives.”

_ Fuck _ .

“First I’ve heard of it,” Han lies.

“Search the freighter,” Tasu Leech commands his men.

Roaring sounds suddenly. I look around, growing on edge. “Rathtars,” I say under my breath.

“I got a bad feeling about this.”

“Kill them!” Bala-Tik says.

“Woah-”

“And take the droid!”

Then, suddenly, a rathtar appears behind them- and another behind kanjiklub. We all race off together as they make quick work of both gangs- I ready my lightsabers, ready to slice any oncoming tentacles. Han grabs a gang member and flings it directly into the open mouth of the rathtar that follows-

“That was a bit unnecessary,” I remark, making sure to keep an eye on the droid. I slice through the rathtar several times as Han and the behemoth run off, but the BB stays with me. The rathtar roars out and flings its tentacles at us both, but it's dead before it can even pull either of us off the ground. I look towards the direction of Han and the behemoth, but they’re nowhere to be seen. The droid beeps at me, sounding worried. “Yeah, buddy.”

I hear distant screaming, but I can’t tell from where- I close my eyes and focus, channeling the Force. And I wait.

Moments later, I open my eyes again to see a rathtar barrelling down a corridor, Finn in its clutches- suddenly, the door slams shut, closing Finn on one side and the rathtar in with me. I swing my lightsabers and run towards it, slicing through it.

“I didn’t realize how easy that would be,” I mutter, breathless, as BB chirps a celebratory noise and circles my legs.

I make your way into the room with the Falcon at the same time as the others do, BB still in tow.

“Han!” Rey yells, running forward.

“You, close the door behind us. You, take care of Chewie.”

Han and Rey enter the ship and Finn dives under Chewie’s arm, supporting him in Han’s wake. I rush past them and towards the gun at the belly of the ship.

A rathtar runs in, but it’s out of reach before I can shoot it. Gangsters follow, though, and I take my aim at them. I’ve never fired a gun like this before, though- I manage, but not well.

I relax in the seat as the ship blasts into lightspeed, looking down at the droid at my feet. I scoop him up and he rolls into my lap. Finn and Han start yelling back and forth about Chewie, but I ignore them. I coo at the droid and run a hand along its metal shell.

“The Resistance, huh?”

It beeps happily.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get there safely. Whether Han helps or not…” I glance at the doorway, remembering the gangsters’ words. After I’ve taken a moment to decompress, I begrudgingly make my way up to find Finn, Chewie, and Han in a room. Rey enters shortly after I do.

“So… Fugitives, huh?” Han asks.

“The First Order wants the map,” Rey says. “Finn is with the Resistance. I’m just a scavenger- and Kennoa just had the ship.”

I frown at that, then look down at the droid, who beeps up at mw in agreement.

“Let’s see what you got,” Han says to the droid. BB beeps inquisitively.

“Go ahead,” Rey assures him. BB rolls forward and projects the map into the air.

“This map’s not complete,” Han says. “It’s just a piece. Ever since Luke disappeared… People have been looking for him.”

“Why did he leave?”

“He was training a new generation of Jedi,” Han says. I clench my jaw at that. “One boy, an apprentice, turned against him. Destroyed it all. Luke felt responsible. He just walked away from everything.”

“An apprentice?” I ask. I don’t trust Jedi- but I almost trust anyone else who doesn’t.

Han looks at me with dread in his eyes. “Yeah.”

“Who?”

Han looks off into the distance, jaw tense. “Kylo Ren.” He chews the name as if it tastes bitter in his mouth.

“Kylo Ren was a Jedi?” Finn asks. “Kylo Ren of the First Order?”

“... Yeah,” Han allows. His eyes are stormy. There’s something there, but you stop prying.

“What happened to Skywalker?” Rey asks quietly.

“A lot of rumors- stories,” Han continues, as if relieved at the change of subject. “People that knew him best think he went looking for the first Jedi temple.”

“The Jedi were real?” Rey asks in awe. I tense my jaw as I look over at her.

“They’re not all you think they were,” I say quietly.

“What are you talking about?” Rey asks. All of the people in the room look at me, wary. I give a dry grin.

“My father was a Jedi, and he attacked me. Nearly killed me. They’re- deranged. Obsessed with good and evil- Dark and Light- no matter the material consequences that happen to real, living people.”

“Our father was a Jedi?” Rey asks. Her eyes are glowing.

I look into them, sad. “Our mother was a Sith.”

“What’s a Sith?”

“Something much worse than a Jedi.” Han seems to relax as I say that, then looks away.

“What happened to them?”

I look down at the ground, jaw tensing. Then, I outstretch a hand. “Whoever wants to see, take my hand. I’m not going to do this again.”

Rey grabs it instantly, holding it. Her eyes are hopeful and sad and afraid. After a moment, Han reaches out and adds his, then Finn, and finally Chewie. BB, beeping, rolls up close to me and rubs against my leg.

“It’s… A lot. Be ready.”


	3. Two

I sat at the table, listening to Korkie as he cleaned the dishes. I’d offered to help, but he’d bid me sit down and relax- I had had a long day at work. So had Korkie, of course, but his work was a lot less physical. I laid my head in my hands, decompressing.

“You need a new job,” Korkie said.

“Yeah,” I said. “I need a lot of things.”

“Is your mother still coming today?”

“As far as I know.”

“It’s been a while…” Korkie’s voice trailed off, so I looked up at him. His face is tense and guarded.

“Yeah… It usually is.”

“I’ve heard things. Rumors.”

I frowned him. “There’s always rumors about Mom. She used to be a sith. She’s a Palpatine.”

“She is a Palpatine. And she is a Sith.”

“She’s not-”

“Right. She used to be- she joined Maul afterwards.” Korkie paused to look over at me with gentle, worried eyes. “I hear she’s been hanging around him again.”

“I thought he died?”

“I did, too. But he’d died before that, too.”

“You said grandpa built him a pyre. Burned his body.”

“The Dark side is strange. I don’t know much about it.”

I leaned back, worry worming its way into my chest. I wanted to grow angry, defensive, but I knew Korkie better than to treat him like that. “What are you saying?”

Korkie sighed, returning to the dishes. “I’m saying that you should be careful. You’re strong- a marvel. You need to get more… Involved. You could save a lot of people.”

“She’s my mother,” I said. “I trust her.”

Korkie didn’t respond. I sighed and got to my feet, moving to the living room to tidy it.

It wasn’t long before I heard my mother’s ship land outside. I grabbed my lightsaber and tucked it into its holster. “I’ll be back!” I called back to Korkie. “I love you!”

But Korkie followed me out of the house. Mom was walking out, standing beside a man I didn’t recognize. “Hi, Mom.” She looked at me with a grave expression. Her blue eyes were dark, clouded. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

The man beside her ignited a crimson lightsaber, his angry eyes pointed directly at Korkie. “You’ve made one too many bad decisions, Kryze.”

“Woah,” I snapped, igniting my own. “Mom- what the hell is going on?”

She looked at me for a long moment. “Stay out of it, Kennoa.”

“I will not ‘ _ stay out of _ -”

The man advanced on Korkie, but I blocked him, knocking him back.

“Don’t you dare kill her!” Mom roared.

“What the hell are you doing!?”

“What needs to be done,” Mom said. “For Mandalore, for the Galaxy, for Maul.”

I slashed my lightsaber right across the front of the man and he fell to his knees. I sent his lightsaber flying and pointed my own at his throat, stepping on his chest. I looked over at Mother as Korkie- by now, an old and injured man- stood there. He knew he couldn’t get inside to his blaster. “If he’s doing something wrong, tell me. He’s a good person- you know that. He wouldn’t purposefully hurt-”

“It doesn’t matter,” Mom said, pulling out her own lightsaber. “I’m sure he will find peace in the Force.”

“I won’t let you kill him.”

Mom gave me a sad smile. “You’re strong, Kennoa. But I’m stronger.”

I gaped at her for a long moment. My mother had always been- strange. Difficult. Her judgement clouded. But- this? My brain refused to truly process anything. I was on a high of disbelief. “Stop this, Mom. What has he done? He can see reason.”

“She cannot,” Korkie said. “Let her, Kennoa. You’re not strong enough. Go to the Resistance, to-”

“Enough of this,” Mom snarled, leaping forward. I dove in front and blocked her attack.

“Kennoa, go!” Korkie roared as my mother and I dueled. She was not more talented, but more experienced- if she were trying to kill me, I would likely lose. I tried my best to keep her as far away from Korkie as I could.

“I can’t lose you,” I growled.

“The galaxy can’t lose you!”

I slashed my blade across her arm and she stumbled back- I tore a tree down and it pushed her even farther back. “Go! Blaster!”

But as he went to yank the front door open, Mom dove across the fallen tree. “For Maul!”

“No!”

“Kennoa, go!”

Her blade sunk into his throat and I screamed mid-dive. His body fell against the door as Mom turned to me-

And I jabbed my purple blade into her stomach once, twice, three times. She fell over as I wept and snarled.

“Kennoa,” gasped Mom, surprised. Her wide eyes, blue and beautiful, found mine. I stood there in shock for a long moment-

Until she swung her blade once more.

“For Ma-”

I sunk my purple blade into her head, letting out a muted sob as I did, then collapsed above her. I looked over as the man she had brought with her ceased to breathe. I’d wounded him more gravely than I’d thought.

I lay my head on her chest for a long moment, feeling her cool skin, her cold necklace, against my temple. “How could you?”

I wept into her for a long moment before heaving my body towards Korkie. His face was blank, slack, as he stared up at the nothingness. I sobbed for a few long moments, clutching him, and kissed his forehead gently.

I needed to leave. The need struck me suddenly, so I stumbled onto my mother’s ship, grabbing her dropped lightsaber on the way.

And I flew right to my father. I had nowhere else to go, no other ally.

He let me onto his ship, looking at me with a worried expression. “I felt it,” he said with no context. He looked… Resigned, wounded.

“I- I… He’s gone,” I wept, stumbling forward. “And- Mom…”

“Your mother’s dead?”

“Yes.”

“And Korkie.”

“Yes.”

I fell into his arms and he held me tightly. He kissed the top of my head gently. “Your mother was sent to kill Korkie. Your mother… And another.” His voice is distant, sad.

“I know,” I wept. “I… Didn’t mean to kill him. I didn’t mean to kill her, either- it all happened so fast… I just wanted them to  _ stop _ .”

“You killed your mother? In battle? With a stranger?”

“Yes.”

The air changed. I assumed it had been sympathy, grief.

I was wrong.

“You. You were always talented, Kennoa… But not that talented.”

I pulled back, looking up at him. His face was grim. “No,” I said aloud.

“You don’t have to lie,” he said.

“I’m not lying-”

“You’ve always been Dark,” he said, his voice strained. “I’ve always sensed it. I suppose I underestimated how Dark.”

“What are you-”

He ignited his yellow lightsaber and I gasped.

“I didn’t… What are you talking about? Do you hear yourself? I wouldn’t kill Korkie!”

“You wouldn’t have,” he said. “I knew I never should have left you. I wanted to protect you… I could have fostered the Light in you. I’m sorry, my dear. I have failed you.” A tear slid down his face.

“I didn’t,” I sob, backing up. “Please. You have to believe me.”

“I love you, Kennoa.”

“Then stop!”

“I can’t.”

He swung, and I dodged- but he was too skilled. I had to draw my lightsaber. I had to defend myself.

My father was a powerful Jedi sentinel. I would never have won if he weren’t so heartbroken, so unfocused. It took a while- and I almost lost several times- but, eventually, I gasped as I watched his body fall. I didn’t collapse onto him. I stood there, desolate and hopeless, as tears streamed down my face silently.

Eventually, I left, taking his lightsaber and his ship with me.

And I went to Jakku… Exactly where I was meant to go.


End file.
